Car-coupling.



Patented Jul y 3| 1900.

0. Sw ss. CAB COUPLING.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

VENTOR 0 ATTORNEY.

No. 654,938. Patented July 31, I900.

D. BOWERS.

CAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Nov. 23, 1899.)

(No Mod'el.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

INVENTOR 4 ATTORNEY.

U ITE STATES:

PATENT OFF-Ion.

,nnvio BOWERSQOF E AUs, PENNSYLVANIA. I

CAR-COUPLINJG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,938, dated July 31, 1900. Application filed November 23, 1899. Serial No. 138,084.. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat 1, DAVID Bownns, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Emaus, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and

I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the'invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, refer-' ence being had to the accompanying drawings,

and to letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a section on the line m, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the draw-heads of my car-coupling. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the draw-heads coupled and hooks H removed. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of one of the draw-heads. Fig; 5 is a bottom plan view illustrating the coupling.

of one of my draw-heads with adifferent form of head. Figs. 6 and 7 areidetail views 'of one of the hooks H. Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the drop-bolts. Fig. 9 is a plan View illustrating the connection of a common link-coupling with my'coupler;

This invention has relation to means for coupling cars; and it consists in the novel construction and combinations of devices, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings the letter A designates the draw-head having the enlarged portion, B, which presents a bifurcation, one of the branches Cof which is longer or more extended forward than the other branch D. The interval Ct between these branches is recessed at b in its back portion,

and this recess is extended through the short branch D throughout its entire length and breadth, dividing the same into upper and lower projections c and o. In this recess is seated the knuckle or hook E, said hook being pivoted eccentrically by the long bolt f, which passes through the draw-head at the base of the branch D. The back of the recess 6 is provided with a buffer projection a to receive the impact of the tail e of the hook E when the cars come together in coupling. In this tail 6 is made a squared aperture for the reception of the end of the squared and weighted drop-bolt g, which passes through an aperture in the top h of the recess in the draw figure, its upper and lower surfaces being plane and parallel. The' knuckle E has a curved rear wall which in closed position of the knuckleabuts against the rear wall of the recess in the draw-head proper. The outer forward portion of the knuckle E abuts in open .position of said knuckle against the rear wall of the recess in the draw-head proper. The hook end 6 is directed inward, and that portion a" of the body of the hook which is presented laterally at the lateral opening 12' is provided with a loop or catch e' to engage a small chain may be attached thereto to serve as a means for pulling the hook out? ward after the short or looking bolt in order to efiect the uncoupling.

In the lateral outside face of the long branch. 0 of the head is formed a catch-recess F, having a shoulder 71, which presents to the rear and serves to engage the hook end 6' of the hook E of the opposite coupler at the same time that the catch-recess of the opposite coupler 'is engaged by the hook E in such a manner that a double engagement is eifected between the draw-heads. When'the coupling is to be effected, the drop+bolts are raised and the hooksturned outward a little, so that said drop-bolts rest on their upper surfaces. As the cars come together the hooks are moved to engaged position and are locked in such position by the falling of the drop-bolts.

the body portion by means' of strong screws.

-zontal recess k, adapt-ed to receive the end of a common link and having apertures for the provide means for coupling with hooks of dif= ferent pat tern found on cars, this recess 75 is formed with an interior enlargement having of the pivotal portion of a removable auxiliary knuckle-hook H, having a hook end J, which is extended upward and downward or vertically by means of upper and lower lapping portions m m, which have concave rear shoulders m, which conform to the convexity of the end of the branch 0, so as to move thereon and in contact therewith when the I head. The hook E is curved in horizontal the end of an instrument for uncoupling, or

g is raised The top'h of the recess in the draw-head is usually made removable and is secured to.

In the endof long branch 0 is formedahori curved shoulder-bearings Z for the reception.

passage of a coupling-bolt 7c. In order to .hold the hook securely to position.

knuckle is turned on its pivot-bolt. This knuckle is provided with a short tail projection 10, which when engaged by the lockingpin q, passing through its slot 21, servesto The slot '0 is formed transversely of the tail projection in order that the knuckle-hook may have a certain amount of play or automatic ad:

j ustability to enable it to coupleireadily with ordinary hook-couplers of various patterns.

It is also provided that the interior curva ture of the interval a; between the branches;

and D, shall have relation to the distance between the] end of the long branchO and" the shoulder h of the lateral exterior-catch reccssF, so that when the catch-recess is en-. gaged by thehook of the opposite coupler it will be held thereby between said hook and thecoucave-curved interior wall of the long branch C,-al-t'hough" the couplinglmay be at quite an angle, and as the catch-recess F is open above. and has quite a vertical extent'the couplers will take effect at dilferent heights without-reasonable limits.

It will benoted that the knuckle E is guarded by the bifurcation in WhlGh'it works and that the strain-upon the draw-head in coupling,.caused by the impingement of the knuckle thereagainst, is lengthwise of the havinga hookat its inner forward portion and abutting in open position thereof at its outer forward portion against the rear wall of said recess extension into the draw-head proper, and abutting in closed position thereof at its rear wall also against the rear wall ofsaid recess extension into the draw-head proper, and a chainor the like attached to the outer forward portion of said knuckle for opening-the same, together with means for lockingsaid knuckle in closed position, the other bifurcation of said draw-head having a catch-recess in its outer wall, substantially as specified.

2; In a car-coupling, the bifurcated drawhead, one bifurcation thereof having through:

out its entire length and breadth a horizontal slot or recess extended into the draw-head proper, the knuckle pivoted in said recess at the base of said bifurcation, said knuckle being provided with a hook at its inner forward portion and with a curved rear wall, and

abutting inclosedposition thereofatits outer forward portion against the rear wall of said recess extension into the draw-head proper and in open position thereof at its rear wall .also against'the rear wall of said recess extension into the draw-head proper, and a chain or the like attached to the outer forward portion ofsaid knuckle for opening the same,

to'gether'with a drop-bolt for locking said knuckle in closed position, the other of said bifurcations having-acatch-recess inits outer wall, substantially as specified. f

3; In a car-coupling,;the bifurcated drawhead, one bifurcation thereof having ahorizontal recess-extended into the draw-head proper, the knuckle pivoted and working in said recess, said knuckle having a hook at its inner forward portion, and adapted to abut in open position thereof against the rear :wall of said draw-head recess, the' tail of said knuckle also abutting in closed position thereof against the rearwallof said drawhead recess, a locking drop-bolt for engagement'with a vertical opening or recess in the tail of said knuckle, acatch-recess in the other of said bifurcations,together with an auxiliary knuckle-hook pivoted and working in a horizontal recess of said last-named bifurcation, and means for locking said auxiliary hook in closed position, s ubstant-ially as specified. r

4. In a car-coupling, the bifurcated drawhead, one bifurcation thereof having a horizontal recess extended into thedr-aw-head proper, the knuckle pivoted and working in said recess,'said knuckle having a hook at its inner forward portion, and adapted to abut in open position thereof against the drawhead, the tail of said knuckle abutting in closed position thereof against the rear wall of said draw-head recess, a lock for said knuckle in the closed position there0f,a catchrecess in the outer wall of the other of said bifurcations, a vertical perforation in the outer end of said last-named bifurcation, and

an auxiliary kn uckle-hook pivoted upon a pin engaging said perforation, and working in a horizontal recess in the outer end of said lastnamed bifurcation, adapted for the reception of a common coupling-link, which is secured by a pin in said perforation, substantially as In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, DAVID BOWERS.

. Witnesses:

ROBERT N. BOROZMON, ROBT. S. STONEBACK. 

